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Entertainment in the Six Points
Although the people of the Six Points are always striving for the betterment of their nation and for their own self-improvement, they always manage to find time for leisure and entertainment. Ever since the Ending War ceased, and civilization was able to rebuild, the people of this new world have very much enjoyed their free time, and have developed various ways to entertain themselves, some being either inspired by or the wholesale recreation of pre-war era entertainment, and some being wholly new creations. Additionally, although the Six Points are now very connected to one another, each port maintains its own tradition of leisure time activities. Bridgeport The premiere port town throughout the Six Points (as well as the largest and cleanest) has made greater strides than any other port towards providing fun, stress-free activities for its citizens. Although many are exact replicas of activities from the pre-war era, Bridgeport has managed to give them all a modern spin, and ensures that they are relevant and interesting for its citizens. They are: stage plays (both straight and musical), open-air concerts, community bonfires, and sports. The newer types of entertainment created in Bridgeport include public and private libraries and dance halls. Stage Plays Stage plays, both straight and musical, are relics of the pre-war era that were brought back to Bridgeport after an expedition in 32 PW. In the past, both would revolve around a central character as he or she spoke directly to the audience as he or she posited their circumstance. In musicals, there was also the addition of a group of characters called the Chorus that sang back to the central character any and all responses to his or her thoughts. In the modern age, straight plays and musicals have multiple characters on stage at any given time (sometimes as many as five). In straight plays, they engage in dialogue with one another, and work to solve the issues presented by a singular character. In musicals, one character will be focused on at any given time, and the remaining people on stage will form the Chorus, although they retain their normal characterizations (this is unlike the pre-war era musicals, wherein the Chorus was a collective given little to no characterization). Straight plays are often in one of two different genres: comedy and romance. In a comedy, a single character will be the focus, and the other characters will work together to solve the problems of that central character. Over the course of the play, that character's issues will be resolved, and the play ends when the central character faces no strife. In a romance, two characters retain central focus, and the play revolves around the other characters ensuring that they end up romantically involved together. Throughout a typical romance, many semi-unrealistic events will occur to prevent the pair from ending up together too soon, but, inevitably, they always end up together. Musicals typically belong to a sole genre: drama. Many important historical tales are told through musicals, as well as sad, tragic stories. Additionally, because musicals involve all the characters equally, the audience is able to see how each character's actions affect the rest. Musicals tend to be more verbose than straight plays, where physicality is more important, so they tend to be held earlier in the day when it is easier to pay attention to the words being sung. Concerts Music is an important element of entertainment to the people of the Six Points, and it is even more important to the people of Bridgeport. At any park, square, dock, or pavilion, a concert could be happening, completely free of charge, for any to listen and relax. Normally, the popular music of the day will fill the air, but it is at these open forums of expression that many creative and experimental sounds are first released unto the ears of the Bridgeport citizenry. Community Bonfires Although normally held on festival days, it is becoming increasingly common for large groups of people to start a bonfire on their private property (or even public with sufficient permission). During festival times, it is common to see creative groups put on shadow puppet shows, as well as reveal new and experimental plays. Other common activities include cooking large roasts, holding dances and concerts, and informal storytelling. It is also not uncommon for an individual citizens of Bridgeport to start a bonfire for their own leisure, and then other citizens will join in. Sports Athletic pursuits are making a return in Bridgeport in full force. Of the returning leisure time activities in Bridgeport, the sports are the most similar to their pre-war era versions. The sports done in Bridgeport take the form of athletic events, and involve several competitors competing against each other. Although several events take place in Bridgeport, three are most prominent: running, wrestling, and throwing. Specific arenas have been built for each event, and, once every five years, the most prominent athletes in Bridgeport take part in all three of them (as well as four more, chosen by popular vote) in a single arena as a single series of events. Running events usually consist of three or more individuals racing a predetermined distance, trying to reach the end of it before anyone else. These events take place either in open air arenas where the start and end points are clearly marked or in enclosed, small stadiums that provide raised seating for the viewers. This second option is usually reserved for formal races, however. Once a race begins, it is prohibited for any runner to interfere with any other runner. Wrestling events usually consist of two individuals grappling with one another, trying to achieve a complete submission of the other. A full submission is achieved when one wrestler brings the other down to the ground and pins their shoulders flat to the dirt for at least three seconds. If a pin is not declared while a competitor is down, but the necessary amount of time has passed, it can be awarded post-hoc if it the rectangle of dirt is clearly visible on the wrestler's shoulders. These events take place in small dirt pits (where most of the grappling is expected to take place), with a small allowance of space outside of it. For these types of events, it is both expected and encouraged that viewers get as close to the action as they can without getting involved themselves. It is prohibited that either wrestler use any outside materials to influence their performance during the match, and, to that end, all wrestlers are expected to wrestle nude. Throwing events are much more diverse than running and wrestling events, as the object being thrown is inconsistent between events. The most common throwing events are javelin, disk, and leaden shot. In each event, though, the goal is the same: throw your object farther than any of your opponents can. Much like running events, several people will compete in the same event, although, for safety and performance reasons, no more than one competitor can throw at a given time. Throwing events are typically held in conical arenas, where all spectators sit or stand behind the thrower, so as to not get injured. In these types of events, it is the total distance of all objects thrown that matter towards scoring, so in the event that there are multiple rounds, each distance is added up. Libraries Literacy has become a very important thing to the citizens of Bridgeport, so to ensure that citizens are able to develop their reading skills and grow their own knowledge, the government of Bridgeport has established public libraries for any and all citizens to enjoy. Private libraries are more like exclusive reading clubs, where, for the appropriate fee, the members can collect and share a specific kind of book, novel, or publication. Dance Halls As important as listening to music is to the people of Bridgeport, equally as important is physically reacting to it. Once the rhythms melodies of modern music began to fill the air, the people of Bridgeport felt the need to dance. Although there is no restriction to dancing wherever one wants, most people prefer to dance among others who share interest in their particular style of dance. Some dance halls are public, but most are private, and almost all cater to a specific step or style. Yoveport The frigid northern lands of Yoveport do not lend themselves to many of the frivolities that those of other port towns experience (especially those down in Bridgeport), but the people of Yoveport still find ways to fill their time in a pleasant manner. The main forms of entertainment in Yoveport are the yearly Elk Hunt, the Storyhalls, and snow fights. Elk Hunt One of the species of animal that lives around Yoveport is called the Frosthorn Great Elk. The smallest recorded adult elk of this species is just larger than two horses standing abreast, and its meat is capable of feeding all of Yoveport for a night. Each year, on the first day of winter, all the hunters of Yoveport gather and hunt down one of these elk. This hunt has been known to take up to a month to complete, but once it is over, all of Yoveport celebrates with a week of festivals and feasts, beginning with a huge meal that uses up the entire elk. Storyhalls Due to the inclement weather that plagues Yoveport nearly year-round, most of the citizenry has a difficult time traveling much farther than the port itself. Because of this, the people of Yoveport have taken to gathering in large halls where they can eat, drink, and tell stories of great daring and adventure. At any given time, there can be hundreds of people in a single hall, and as many stories being told. However, during festivals and days of remembrance, many will gather to hear a single person tell the story traditionally told on that day. During these times, it is typical for the listeners to remain quiet and respectful until the story has ended, at which point the festivities begin anew. Snow Fights For at least half the year, snow falls on Yoveport and the surrounding area. The people of Yoveport have decided to make the best out of this, and, since 14 PW, have started a tradition which they call the snow fights. Once enough snow has accumulated, some people gather to a clearing, and construct a temporary arena and terrain out of snow. In this makeshift arena, combatants have mock battles using wooden or blunted weapons. In recent years, additional stipulations have been added that allow for teams to compete (thus allowing for team-on-team conflicts instead of battle royals), and require that objectives be collected from the opposing team or teams. Towards the end of winter, teams from all across Yoveport gather to compete in a large snow fight tournament where prizes such as money, fame, and food are obtainable. Rothlessport Rothlessport has made very few strides in constructing forms of entertainment that are accessible to a wide audience. It has been exceedingly difficult for the local government to discern what it is that the general populace wants, and most of the attempts made to gather information have been inconclusive. That is not to say, however, that there is no way to entertain oneself in Rothlessport. Rather, it is the people of Rothlessport who decided to make their own entertainment instead of waiting to any government officials to establish something. The most common ways the people of Rothlessport find entertainment are in the bars, the brawls, and the drugs that are commonly found on the streets. Bars The bar culture in Rothlessport is unmatched in any other of the Six Points. Whereas other port towns may have one or two taverns per district, the average street in Rothlessport can have as many as five bars, each one offering its own unique experience. It is rare to see two bars have anything more than two drinks in common, as each takes pride it coming up with its own brews and mixtures. Some bars have even been integrating kitchens into their establishments recently, and they will guard their recipes with as much tenacity as they would guard their money safes. Despite the immense number of bars in Rothlessport, it is rare to see a Rothlessporter frequent more than three or four of them. Part of a person's identity in Rothlessport is defined by the bars they frequent, and this, combined with the strong sense of loyalty that many Rothlessporters have, has lead to this phenomenon. Although many Rothlessporters will not outwardly judge a person for frequenting many bars, their feelings toward them will be apparent in how they act towards this person. Rothlessporters are not terribly friendly normally, but will become even colder to a person they perceive as disloyal, almost to the point of refusing to acknowledge them at times. Some of the older citizens who have developed long and strong ties to a select few number of bars are the most likely to act with aggression. It is also worth noting that all four Exploration Houses in Rothlessport either have a bar on their premises or use one as their Meeting House. For those with their own bars, the bars tend to exclusively serve the members of that Exploration House, as well as a select few that the House allows in. Regardless of one's own feelings towards an Exploration House, it is always considered an honor to be invited to drink in that House's personal bar. Brawls Between the inebriates that many Rothlessporters spend almost all their waking hours consuming and the constant tension of living in Rothlessport, tempers can flare up at a moment's notice. In these situations, often the best solution is to let loose all aggression with a no-holds-barred brawl. There are never rules or regulations for brawls, and each one is atypical relative to any other as far as the happenings of the brawls are concerned. However, they almost always begin in a bar and end on the streets. It is not rare for one or more brawl participants to end up dead, although this is not as common as it used to be. Once a brawl is released onto the streets, it is very common for passers-by to stop what they are doing and watch the brawl. It can be very cathartic to watch people fight, and many Rothlessporters use these times to reduce the number of times they are involved in brawls themselves. Drugs Illicit substances have been bought and sold on the streets on Rothlessport for as long as Rothlessport has been around. Although not legal in the strictest sense, when looking at official Six Points legislature, local authorities do nothing about the drug trade in Rothlessport as they too take part in it. As of 53 PW, it is believed that as much as 99% of Rothlessport's population takes drugs to some capacity. Over the years, the drug trade has evolved, and only two can commonly be found on the streets: sord and sweetleaf. Sord is commonly found as a powder, and is ingested either by snorting or rubbing on one's gums. The high takes effect almost immediately, and can last as long as two hours. Sweetleaf is commonly found as an edible in the shape of a thin, autumnal leaf. It is a psychedelic, and can take several minutes to take effect. However, it can easily last for half of a day. Dealers tend to sell one or the other, but not both, and usually offer "stock" versions of whichever drug they sell, as well as personal takes on them.